Merriam, Eugene R. "Gene"
Senate 1975-82 (District 47); Senate 1983-96 (District 49)
Party when first elected: Democratic-Farmer-Labor
Counties Served:
Anoka, Hennepin, Wright
BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION
Date of Birth:
11/1/1944
Birth Place:
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Birth County:
Hennepin
Birth Country:
United States
Date of Death:
Gender:
Male
Religion:
Catholic
Reported Minority: None Reported
Other Names:
Gene
City of Residence (when first elected):
Coon Rapids
Occupation (when first elected):
Certified Public Accountant
EDUCATION
Benilde High School; Secondary; Graduate, 1962
University of Minnesota; B.S.; 1967
University of Minnesota; B.A.;
OTHER GOVERNMENT SERVICE
Military:
United States Marine Corps;
19?? to ?
Municipal Council/Aldermen:
Coon Rapids, Minnesota (City Council);
1973 to 1974
[Elected]
State Board/Commission/Council:
Higher Education Coordinating Board;
02/26/1991 to ?
[Appointed]
State Agency:
Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (Commissioner);
01/2003 to 01/02/2007
[Appointed]
FAMILY RELATIONSHIPS
Spouse:
Maureen; Divorced
Children:
Three children
Family Members Who Have Served in the Minnesota Legislature:
GENERAL NOTES
He was the president of the Freshwater Society from 2007 to 2013.
"His peers called him 'Clean Gene,' and during two decades as a DFL senator, he was so respected for his fairness, honesty and hard work that even Republican made overtures to recruit him to run for governor." (Star Tribune, March 25, 2014)
"He said he was proud of his work on the Waste Management Act, enacted in 1980, which encouraged more recycling and less landfill use, the Metropolitan Surface Water Management Act of 1982 and the Sustainable Forest Resources Act of 1995." (Star Tribune, March 25, 2014.)
Special Legislative Concerns: taxation, education finance, privacy, finance, environment.
Religion provided by the Catholic Bulletin, 3/21/1975.
Body: Senate
District: 49
Elected: 11/3/1992
Residence: Coon Rapids
Term of Office: 1/5/1993 to 1/6/1997
Counties Represented:
Anoka
Occupation: Certified Public Accountant
Party:
Democratic-Farmer-Labor
Committees:
-
Crime Prevention
-
Crime Prevention: Crime Prevention Finance Division
-
Environment and Natural Resources
-
Environment and Natural Resources: Environment and Natural Resources Finance Division
-
Environment and Natural Resources: Environmental Protection
-
Environment and Natural Resources: Fish and Wildlife
-
Finance (Chair)
-
Finance: Capital Budget
-
Finance: Finance State Government Division
-
Judiciary: Joint Crime Prevention and Judiciary Subcommittee on Privacy
-
Rules and Administration
-
Rules and Administration: Bill Referral
-
Rules and Administration: Permanent and Joint Rules
-
Rules and Administration: Personnel
-
Rules and Administration: Senate Budget
Body: Senate
District: 49
Elected: 11/3/1992
Residence: Coon Rapids
Term of Office: 1/5/1993 to 1/6/1997
Counties Represented:
Anoka
Occupation: Certified Public Accountant
Party:
Democratic-Farmer-Labor
Committees:
-
Crime Prevention
-
Crime Prevention: Crime Prevention Finance Division
-
Environment and Natural Resources
-
Environment and Natural Resources: Environment and Natural Resources Finance Division
-
Environment and Natural Resources: Environmental Protection
-
Environment and Natural Resources: Fish and Wildlife
-
Finance (Chair)
-
Finance: Capital Budget (Chair)
-
Finance: Finance State Government Division
-
Judiciary: Joint Crime Prevention and Judiciary Privacy
-
Rules and Administration
-
Rules and Administration: Bill Referral
-
Rules and Administration: Permanent and Joint Rules
-
Rules and Administration: Personnel
-
Rules and Administration: Senate Budget
Body: Senate
District: 49
Elected: 11/6/1990
Residence: Coon Rapids
Term of Office: 1/8/1991 to 1/4/1993
Counties Represented:
Anoka, Hennepin, Wright
Occupation: Certified Public Accountant
Party:
Democratic-Farmer-Labor
Committees:
-
Agriculture and Rural Development: Joint Agriculture and Rural Development/Environment and Natural Resources Ad Hoc
-
Environment and Natural Resources
-
Environment and Natural Resources: Environmental Protection
-
Environment and Natural Resources: Fish and Wildlife
-
Finance (Chair)
-
Finance: Economic and State Affairs Division
-
Finance: Environment and Natural Resources Division
-
Judiciary
-
Judiciary: Criminal Law Division
-
Judiciary: Privacy
-
Rules and Administration
-
Rules and Administration: Bill Referral
-
Rules and Administration: Permanent and Joint Rules
-
Rules and Administration: Personnel
-
Rules and Administration: Senate Budget
Body: Senate
District: 49
Elected: 11/4/1986
Residence: Coon Rapids
Term of Office: 1/6/1987 to 1/7/1991
Counties Represented:
Anoka, Hennepin, Wright
Occupation: Realtor
Party:
Democratic-Farmer-Labor
Committees:
-
Environment and Natural Resources
-
Environment and Natural Resources: Environmental Protection
-
Environment and Natural Resources: Fish and Wildlife
-
Finance (Chair)
-
Finance: Agriculture/Transportation and Semi-States Division
-
Finance: State Departments Division
-
Judiciary
-
Judiciary: Criminal Law Division
-
Judiciary: Privacy
-
Rules and Administration
-
Rules and Administration: Bill Referral
-
Rules and Administration: Permanent and Joint Rules
-
Rules and Administration: Personnel
-
Rules and Administration: Senate Budget
Body: Senate
District: 49
Elected: 11/4/1986
Residence: Coon Rapids
Term of Office: 1/6/1987 to 1/7/1991
Counties Represented:
Anoka, Hennepin, Wright
Occupation: Realtor/Certified Public Accountant
Party:
Democratic-Farmer-Labor
Committees:
-
Environment and Natural Resources
-
Environment and Natural Resources: Environmental Protection
-
Finance (Chair)
-
Finance: State Departments Division
-
Judiciary
-
Judiciary: Criminal Law Division
-
Judiciary: Privacy
-
Rules and Administration
-
Rules and Administration: Permanent and Joint Rules
-
Rules and Administration: Personnel
-
Rules and Administration: Senate Budget
Body: Senate
District: 49
Elected: 11/2/1982
Residence: Coon Rapids
Term of Office: 1/4/1983 to 1/5/1987
Counties Represented:
Anoka, Hennepin, Wright
Occupation: Certified Public Accountant
Party:
Democratic-Farmer-Labor
Committees:
-
Agriculture and Natural Resources (Chair)
-
Education
-
Education: Education Aids
-
Judiciary
-
Judiciary: Criminal Law
-
Judiciary: Privacy (Chair)
-
Rules and Administration
-
Rules and Administration: Permanent and Joint Rules
-
Taxes and Tax Laws
-
Taxes and Tax Laws: Income Tax
-
Taxes and Tax Laws: Property Taxes and Local Government Aids
Body: Senate
District: 49
Elected: 11/2/1982
Residence: Coon Rapids
Term of Office: 1/4/1983 to 1/5/1987
Counties Represented:
Anoka, Hennepin, Wright
Occupation: Certified Public Accountant
Party:
Democratic-Farmer-Labor
Committees:
-
Agriculture and Natural Resources (Chair)
-
Education
-
Education: Education Aids
-
Judiciary
-
Judiciary: Criminal Law
-
Judiciary: Privacy (Chair)
-
Rules and Administration
-
Rules and Administration: Permanent and Joint Rules
-
Taxes and Tax Laws
-
Taxes and Tax Laws: Income Tax
-
Taxes and Tax Laws: Property Taxes and Local Government Aids
Body: Senate
District: 47
Elected: 11/4/1980
Residence: Coon Rapids
Term of Office: 1/6/1981 to 1/3/1983
Counties Represented:
Anoka
Occupation: Certified Public Accountant
Party:
Democratic-Farmer-Labor
Committees:
-
Agriculture and Natural Resources (Chair)
-
Education
-
Education: Education Aids
-
Education: Educational Organization and Special Programs
-
Judiciary
-
Judiciary: Criminal Law
-
Judiciary: Privacy
-
Rules and Administration
-
Taxes and Tax Laws
-
Taxes and Tax Laws: Income Tax
-
Taxes and Tax Laws: Small Business Tax
Body: Senate
District: 47
Elected: 11/2/1976
Residence: Coon Rapids
Term of Office: 1/4/1977 to 1/5/1981
Counties Represented:
Anoka
Occupation: Certified Public Accountant
Party:
Democratic-Farmer-Labor
Committees:
-
Agriculture and Natural Resources
-
Agriculture and Natural Resources: Environmental Protection
-
Agriculture and Natural Resources: Fish and Wild Life
-
Education
-
Education: Education Aids (Chair)
-
Education: Educational Organization
-
Joint Agriculture and Natural Resources/Governmental Operations/Local Government/Taxes and Tax Laws/Transportation: Agricultural Land Preservation
-
Judiciary
-
Judiciary: Law Reform (Chair)
-
Judiciary: Privacy
-
Taxes and Tax Laws
-
Taxes and Tax Laws: Inheritance, Estates and Trusts (Chair)
-
Transportation: Pipelines-1979
Body: Senate
District: 47
Elected: 11/2/1976
Residence: Coon Rapids
Term of Office: 1/4/1977 to 1/5/1981
Counties Represented:
Anoka
Occupation: Certified Public Accountant
Party:
Democratic-Farmer-Labor
Committees:
-
Agriculture and Natural Resources
-
Agriculture and Natural Resources: Environmental Protection
-
Agriculture and Natural Resources: Fish and Wildlife
-
Education
-
Education: Education Aids (Chair)
-
Education: Educational Organization
-
Judiciary
-
Judiciary: Law Reform (Chair)
-
Judiciary: Privacy
-
Taxes and Tax Laws
-
Taxes and Tax Laws: Income Tax
Body: Senate
District: 47
Elected: 11/5/1974
Residence: Coon Rapids
Term of Office: 1/7/1975 to 1/3/1977
(Special Election)
Counties Represented:
Anoka
Occupation: Certified Public Accountant
Party:
Democratic-Farmer-Labor
Party Notes: He was one of the first four Senators to run with party designation since nonpartisan elections had been implemented in the 1914 elections.
Committees:
-
Judiciary
-
Judiciary: Private Law Reform
-
Labor and Commerce
-
Labor and Commerce: Labor
-
Natural Resources and Agriculture
-
Natural Resources and Agriculture: Public Lands
-
Natural Resources and Agriculture: Water Resources
Session Notes:
He won the Senate special election held due to the resignation of Stan Thorup. He was sworn in on January 7, 1975.